School districts across the Border Belt saw increases in crime and suspension rates in the 2023-2024 school year, although statewide figures declined, according to a report from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Ben Rappaport
Ben Rappaport is a reporter at the Border Belt Independent. He is a graduate of the Hussman School of Journalism and Media at UNC-Chapel Hill, and he previously worked for the Chatham News + Record.
Posted inEducation
Border Belt schools still feel effects of COVID learning loss, new report shows
Most school districts in North Carolina’s Border Belt experienced more learning loss than the state overall since the start of COVID-19 pandemic, a new report shows.
Posted inPolitics & Government
Trump’s push for Lumbee recognition energizes tribe. But could it make a difference?
News of President Donald Trump’s move to grant full federal recognition to the Lumbee tribe was met with joy and caution.
Posted inEnvironment
Robeson County leads North Carolina in solar farms. How many are too many?
Robeson County officials have long touted solar farms as a boon for the economically distressed county. Now they are reconsidering.
Posted inElections
More than 1,500 ballots in Border Belt challenged in NC Supreme Court race
More than 1,500 voters in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties had their votes challenged in the disputed election for a seat on the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Posted inNews
NC’s Border Belt sees increase in homelessness
Ninety-five people in Bladen, Columbus, Robeson and Scotland counties were identified as homeless in 2024, a 90% increase from the prior year. But the real number of unhoused people is likely much higher.
Posted inPolitics & Government
US House passes Lumbee recognition bill
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Lumbee Fairness Act on Tuesday, moving North Carolina’s largest Native American tribe a step closer to its 136-year fight for full federal recognition. The tribe has gotten this close before, only for the Senate to leave its version of the bill on the table […]
Posted inBusiness & Economy
Divided visions stall progress at Elizabethtown Industrial Park
Bladen County gave Elizabethtown $100,000 in 2023 for a master plan for a mixed-use project. Now it wants its money back.
Posted inElections
How Republicans gained ground in rural North Carolina
By Ben Rappaport and Sarah Nagem benrappaport@borderbelt.org This story is co-published by The Assembly and the Border Belt Independent. There was never any doubt Charles Ray Peterson would be a Democrat. His parents, grandparents—everyone he knew in Bladen County, really—were Democrats. Peterson, 70, served on the Bladen County school board for 12 years and has been a county […]
Posted inBusiness & Economy
Bladen County spat could hinder progress at thriving industrial park
By Ben Rappaport benrappaport@borderbelt.org Bladen County and Elizabethtown have worked together for years to spur economic development with help from a local nonprofit aimed at bringing jobs and increasing the local tax base. But new plans for a mixed-use development of homes and businesses have strained the three-way partnership, raising questions about the project and […]